


Food Fight

by mythicaliz



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Angst, Cannibalism, Fight Sex, Graphic Description, M/M, Near Death Experience, Other, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-11-28 09:51:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11415408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mythicaliz/pseuds/mythicaliz
Summary: I had an idea for a Tropetastic Tuesday which has passed that involves... well, cannibalism. My inspiration comes from a few places, namely the story Sade Smols by @unsettlingstories on Tumblr and the song Tear You Apart by She Wants Revenge.





	1. Chapter 1

_Suggested listening:[Tear You Apart](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixw_bLVUL34) by She Wants Revenge, [Bon Appetit ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPI-mRFEIH0)by Katy Perry (This is really for the video and how it relates), [Starstrukk ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvf--10EYXw)by 3OH!3 (though if I’m honest this one is unrelated, it’s just going through my head while I’m writing this)_

 

 

Link slammed his bag onto the couch more aggressively than he had truly intended. He sighed, wondering how the loud “thump” would read to Rhett. Would he seem angry, frustrated, annoyed, or perhaps just tired? All of these things were true, after all. It had been an especially long day. Between not getting very much writing done for Good Mythical Morning, no sketch ideas had come to him, causing him to eventually just throw his whole idea notebook in the trash, and everyone seeming annoyed with him the whole day... It was garbage, just like he felt his ideas had been. On top of that, on the way home he’d gotten stuck behind a wreck. He hadn’t eaten in several hours and the hunger was beginning to make him feel incredibly agitated. Link’s stomach growled loudly, and he closed his eyes, hoping to smell something cooking in the kitchen. When he didn’t smell anything, he opened them again, and, with extra stomp in his step, made his way towards the refrigerator. 

“Oh, hey Link.” Rhett greeted Link as he entered the kitchen doorway. He was inconveniently standing in front of the fridge. “Dinner’s going to be a couple of minutes late. I had to run and get some pasta to boil. Guess we were out.”

Link sighed and rubbed his right temple. His low blood sugar was beginning to give him a headache. “Of course we were out. We ate the last of it last night. It’s pasta every night with you.” 

“You know, I don’t see you cooking.” Rhett snapped back. “In fact, I don’t remember the last time you brought home fast food even.” He began to fill a pot with water to boil. 

Link watched him incredulously. It was after 8 o’clock, and he hadn’t eaten since 11 in the morning. “You’re just now getting started?” He walked over to Rhett and watched as he placed the pot on the stove and began to break spaghetti over it. “You’ve been home for hours!”

“Link, would you just be grateful that I’m making dinner?” Rhett asked quietly. Link was taken aback by the way Rhett’s voice sounded, like he had been defeated  by something. “It’s been a long day for both of us.”

“Bullshit, you left the office early.” Link leaned in close to Rhett. “At least I’m not lazy.”

“Well at least I have ideas! What are you doing, scribbling out everything in that stupid notebook?” Rhett’s voice raised to a yell. He stepped away from Link, wringing his hands. “I’m sorry I decided to clean before cooking. It’s not like you’ve been doing that either!”

“Well it’s not like you do the dishes after you cook!” Link’s hunger had a hold over him, raising his voice, taking over his actions. “I mean, is it really that hard to wash a pot where you boiled some water? It shouldn’t be that hard!” 

Next to them, the water began to come to a boil in the pot, its heat and bubbles popping, sizzling, just as the anger between them was boiling to the surface. Rhett and Link stared at each other, fuming, glaring, breathing hard, their anger intensified by the heat of the kitchen. And then Link stepped towards Rhett, hungry for something else, something besides food. His mouth crashed into Rhett’s mouth, pushing him backwards into the fridge. Rhett was taken by surprise at this, gripping the counter, his hands grasping at anything they could, trying to make sense of where Link’s mind had changed from anger to lust. He kissed him back, their lips colliding in a whirlwind of emotions. 

Link’s hands roamed over Rhett’s body, his nails scratching at him, his own body hard with passion. He wanted all of Rhett. He wanted every piece of Rhett. He began kissing his neck, nibbling, biting gently, working his way around from ear to ear. Rhett moaned, gripping the counter, then Link, then the counter again. He cried out when Link bit him harder than usual, and Link stopped, looking up at his partner. 

“Too much?” Link asked, concern in his voice. He kissed the place where he had bitten Rhett gently as a means of apology.

“No... not enough!” Rhett pulled Link in closer. He grabbed Link by the behind, massaging him, then stroking his back. 

Link began to bite Rhett, hard, all over his neck and upper chest. He felt his hunger overtake him and he bit his chest again, above the nipple, hard enough to draw blood. Rhett moaned, ecstasy taking over his logical thinking process. Link, seeing he had drawn blood, paused for a moment. He wiped his mouth and saw blood on his hand, which to his surprise, did not alarm him. Maybe it was the long day. Maybe it was how his stomach growled, how his appetite for sex and meat were insatiable. Whatever it was, he wanted more. He looked at Rhett, pleading for permission to draw more blood, to draw forth flesh, to feast upon him.

Rhett looked down at Link, down at where, in the chaos of everything, his shirt had been removed, to where he was bleeding. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. The pain and endorphin's running through his body were intense, intensified by the sight of his blood on Link’s face. He bent down and kissed the top of Link’s head. “I want to be inside you.” Link began to unbutton his pants, but Rhett shook his head. “I want you to... well...” 

Link stared into Rhett’s eyes and the realization dawned on him. “Are you sure?” His own hunger was momentarily overshadowed by a voice of reason in his head. This was violent, this was... this was something new he’d never experienced. He tasted Rhett’s blood on his tongue and was hungry for more, hungry for flesh. He looked into Rhett’s eyes and, when Rhett gave a small, but sure nod, he dove onto his chest and sank his teeth in.

Link tore into Rhett’s flesh, ripping off chunks, stuffing it between his teeth and chewing. He lapped at the blood that oozed from his wounds, he devoured the skin he tore off. The spaghetti boiled over, but neither man paid it any mind. When Link had satisfied his craving for flesh, Rhett looked up at him weakly and smiled. There were several small chunks taken out of his chest and abdomen, bite marks, and Link’s belly was full of human meat. 

Rhett’s eyes glazed over and he whispered, “Hey Link?”

Link, still chewing, swallowed and looked into Rhett’s eyes. “Yeah?”

“Please take me to a hospital.” 


	2. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @mythicaliz is the one who had the idea to keep this going. Without her this wouldn't have happened at all, and she wrote the majority of the chapter. I want to give her a HUGE shoutout for that. This is my first time collaborating and so far it's been a lot of fun. I look forward to doing more of these in the future as well as us creating future chapters for this story.

Link stared into Rhett's eyes and watched them roll back into his head. “Shit...Rhett...Rhett,” he said tapping on his face. “Rhett stay with me...stay with me baby.” He pulled out his phone with one hand and dialed 911 while pulling a towel off the handle of the oven door, trying to stop the bleeding. “Yes there's been an accident. My boyfriend has lost a lot of blood.” He put pressure on the deepest wound that was spouting the most blood with the white tea towel. “Please hurry, he's unconscious...yes our address is...” He watched as the white towel turned wet and dark red. “Stay with me baby. It's ok Rhett, the ambulance is on the way...stay with me baby.” The words caught thick in his throat as he tried not to cry. Four minutes later the EMTs threw open the door and pulled Link off Rhett so they could tend to him. In a fog Link managed to find the wherewithal to get his wallet and keys and put on a shirt that wasn’t soaked in blood. “You comin' in the ambulance?” one of the EMT's asked. Link nodded and followed as they carried Rhett out on the stretcher.

 

They loaded Rhett into the ambulance and Link hopped in. “Sit there, stay out of our way,” they said, motioning to a seat at the back of the ambulance. Link could barely move let alone get in the way. The EMTs worked quickly on Rhett. 

 

“What happened here...Sir?...What happened to your boyfriend?” 

 

“I...” Link turned white and one of the EMTs was quick enough to hand him a barf bag just in time for him to hurl. 

 

“Uhhh...I think this guy bit him,” one of the EMTs said, when he saw the chunks of undigested flesh and skin in the barf bag. Link promptly fainted.

 

A few minutes later Link came to with an oxygen mask on. “...Yes we need an officer to meet us at the hospital...domestic violence...possible manslaughter...yeah he just vomited up chunks of the other guy, it's fucked up man, Thanks.” 

 

_ What had he done? Manslaughter? If he had killed Rhett he'd beg for the death penalty. Did California even have the death penalty?  _ Link didn't know what to do, he couldn't move or speak or think.

  
  


They pulled into the ambulance bay at the hospital. The EMTs opened the doors and pulled the stretcher containing Rhett off the ambulance and briskly wheeled it away. A police officer motioned for Link to exit the ambulance and he complied. “Charles Neal?” the officer asked. Link nodded. “You're under arrest for the assault of Rhett McLaughlin. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you?” Link nodded again and the officer cuffed him and put a protective hand over his head as he was placed in the back of the police car. He didn't care about his own fate, he just wanted to know that Rhett would be ok. He would give anything to be the one dying if only it meant Rhett was ok.

 

Several hours later, after having his mugshot and fingerprints taken, he was put in a holding cell. At this point it was 1 am and the jail was mostly full of drunks. Link tucked his knees up to his chest and hugged them as he tried not to make eye contact with anyone. He wondered what the other delinquents would think of him if they knew why he was there.  _ They’d think I’m a freak _ , a nasty voice in his head whispered, his grip on his knees growing tighter. His thoughts were interrupted by a guard tapping on one of the bars to the cell. 

 

“Neal, time for your phone call. Make it count,” the guard said, opening the door and leading Link to a desk with a telephone.

 

*******

 

Stevie unwillingly opened her eyes at the ring of her phone. It was still dark out, who could be calling this early...late...what the hell time was it anyway? She picked up her phone and saw an unknown number. 

 

“This better be good,” she said into the receiver. 

 

“Stevie, it's Link. Rhett is in the emergency room, he might not make it, and I'm in jail.” 

 

Stevie rubbed her eyes, “If this is a prank, I quit.”

 

********

 

Stevie pulled into the parking lot at the hospital, exhausted and now full of worry for the fate of her friends and employers. 

 

“Hi, my friend was brought in by ambulance a few hours ago. Rhett McLaughlin?” she said to the triage nurse. 

 

“He's still being worked on, have a seat in waiting room three. I'll have the doctor find you when they have some information.” 

 

Stevie settled into a chair in the waiting room and took out her phone. It was very early morning in North Carolina, and this was a call she was dreading, but knew it had to be done. She sighed as the phone ran. After four rings a soft southern woman’s voice answered. 

 

“Hello, Mrs. McLaughlin? My name is Stevie Levigne. I work with your son.” 

 

“Oh dear, did something happen to Cole?” 

 

“No Ma'am. I work for Rhett. He’s been involved in an incident and is in critical condition in the hospital. He-”

 

“Miss Levigne, as far as we are concerned Rhett died two years ago,” the woman said, hanging up the phone.

 

Stevie had been the one person Rhett and Link had come out to two years ago when their relationship turned from friends to lovers. She had urged them to come out to their families but it had not gone well. Still, she thought his mother would care to know he was in the hospital, that he could die. Apparently not. She cursed under her breath, angry that someone could be so cruel and callous to their own child. After a few minute exhaustion began to lull Stevie into a restless sleep. She curled up in the chair and waited, trying to prepare herself for the worse.

 

Two hours later Stevie snapped awake. “McLaughlin?” a doctor said for the second time to the waiting room. 

 

“Yes, I'm here for Rhett,” Stevie piped up. 

 

“Come with me please.” The doctor usured her into a private room. “Given the nature of his injuries I thought it would be best to speak in private. Are you a family member?” 

 

“Yes, I'm his sister,” Stevie lied. She looked straight at the doctor, challenging him to say something, but he raised an eyebrow and simply continued on.

 

“Well, he is stable. He lost a lot of blood, he's had three transfusions, and he's had two skin grafts and eighty-two stitches. He's still unconscious, at this point we just need to let him rest and hope that he comes out of it. If he doesn't wake up in the next twenty four hours we will reassess then. If he does wake up, an officer will need to speak with him when he's ready to make a statement and press charges against his boyfriend.” 

 

“Thank you doctor, but I doubt he will press charges. This is all a big misunderstanding.” Stevie frowned at him, hoping that he could comprehend something she couldn’t. Instead the doctor looked at her even more strangely than he had before.

 

“Then he will need a psych evaluation too.” He said bluntly, shutting the chart he’d been reading from. “You don't willingly let someone almost eat you to death.” 

 

“It's complicated.” Stevie looked down at the ground, unsure how to phrase the thoughts in her head. When she couldn’t think of the right words, she simply said the most polite ones. “Thank you doctor. Can I wait in his room?” 

 

“Yes, it's down the hall, second door on the left.”

 

Stevie quietly entered Rhett's room. She never thought she would see her giant man of a boss look so small and weak but there he was, IV in his arm, bandages on his neck and chest and belly. He looked like a little boy. She walked over and gingerly kissed his forehead. “You're gonna be ok, bossman.” She whispered in his ear, giving his hand a tiny squeeze.

 

Stevie had brought her laptop and managed to fashion a makeshift office in Rhett's room. She send a vague email to the staff letting them know that Rhett was in the hospital and that they would not be filming this week, but to keep workshopping ideas and making crew videos. She would send them an update when she knew more. Then she started working on a press release. She needed to be on top of things before TMZ or some other news outlet got wind of what happened. But how does one spin the fact that the co-hosts of the internet's most popular morning show were actually long time lovers and one tried to eat the other one in a hangry sex crazed haze? She rubbed her temples trying to make sense of it all. She checked her watch, it was nearly 7am. Stevie got a cup of crappy vending machine coffee and called Rhett and Link's lawyer who she figured ought to be up by now. “Jeff...it's Stevie Levigne from Mythical Entertainment, Link is in jail...yeah I know...”

 

**********

 

_ “ _ NEAL,” Link woke with a start from his drowsy state. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Your lawyer is here.” Link was led to a small room where his lawyer was waiting for him. 

 

“Hey Link, what the hell happened?” A man in a grey suit was sitting at a table, looking at Link incredulously. How do you defend cabbinalism? He remembered that the law was on their side - only in the state of Idaho was cannibalism illegal by name. In spite of this, Jeff couldn’t help but think that a jury would be less than kind about such an act. 

 

“It's all so messed up Jeff.” Link paced back and forth, running his hands through his hair, anxiety plastered on his face. He began to speak very quickly, his sentences running together. “I didn't mean to hurt him, things just went too far, he wanted me to do it, I know that doesn't make it right, but we both just got caught up and it went too far and now he might die and I don't know what I'm going to do.” He stopped and looked at Jeff. “Have you heard anything? How is he?” 

 

“I spoke to Stevie about an hour ago. He was still unconscious but stable. He had to have a bunch of stitches and skin grafts and blood transfusions. It was touch and go for a while, and he's still not out of the woods yet.” Jeff wrung his hands and sighed. “If he doesn't wake up you are looking at serious jail time. Maybe we should have you evaluated? Better to spend the rest of your life in the looney bin than jail. Then again, I’m an entertainment lawyer, not a criminal one. This really isn’t in my wheelhouse.” 

 

Usually Link appreciated Jeff for his matter of factness but in this instance it wasn't helpful. “If Rhett dies I will take whatever punishment the court deems fit. If he dies I don't deserve any sort of shot at happiness ever again.”

 

***********

 

**INTERNETAINER RHETT MCLAUGHLIN INJURED IN COYOTE ATTACK**

For immediate release 7:45 am Wednesday June 14 th 2017

_ Internet personality Rhett McLaughlin of “Good Mythical Morning”, “Rhett and Link”, and “Buddy System” was seriously injured by a coyote attack at 8:30pm on Tuesday June 13 _ _ th _ _ 2017 outside his Burbank home. He is currently in stable but serious condition at a Los Angeles area hospital. His co-host, Link Neal, the staff at Mythical Entertainment, and his family ask for privacy at this time and wish for a speedy recovery. We will keep fans updated via Rhett and Link's social media accounts. _

 

Stevie sent the press release to the necessary parties and closed her laptop. Hopefully the coyote attack lie would stick and no one would find out what really happened. There had been sightings of wild coyotes recently in Burbank...it could work...it had to.

 

She looked over at Rhett. His chest moved up and down shallowly. She was so scared for her friend, her mentor. Stevie had been fortunate enough to be distant in her life so far from injury and death. To see it up close like this was unnerving. She heard a moan come from him, and then a weak, “Link?”

 

Stevie went to his side. “Rhett, it's Stevie. It's ok. You're in the hospital.” She pressed the call button above his bed a nurse came in. “He's awake.” Stevie said to the nurse. The relief washed over her and she began to let herself cry. The tears brought her first bit of catharsis since the ordeal had begun, and so she let them fall freely, not bothering to hide her emotions.

 

“Sweetie the doctor needs to check him out. Why don't you go to the cafeteria and get something to eat?” A nurse touched Stevie gently on the shoulder and looked at the two of them with kind eyes. Stevie swallowed and nodded. She gave Rhett another kiss on the forehead and left the room.

 

Half an hour and one good cry later she returned. Rhett was weakly trying to eat a jello cup but kept getting his IV tubes tangled. “Let me do that for you, you’re on a lot of pain killers,” Stevie said, taking the green jello from him. 

 

“Stevie...where...where is Link?” Rhett asked in a weak voice. 

 

“Rhett, he's in jail. You have to give a statement to an officer before they will release him. For a while there he was looking at a manslaughter charge.” She stabbed her spoon into the jell-o cup with a bit more aggression than she had intended. “Thank god you woke up.” She added quietly, staring into the green, sweet substance, considering what to do next.

 

Rhett’s chest heaved as he began to sob. “How did this happen? One minute we were having a screaming match, and then we were about to have the hottest sex of our lives - sorry Stevie, I know it's weird to think of us that way-  but things just got carried away.” He let out a shuddering breath that was a mixture of emotional and physical pain. “He didn't do anything wrong. I wanted him to do it. I said it was ok. And it was...until it wasn't…” He reached up and wiped his face before looking back at Stevie, who was looking back at him with a pained expression. “I mean it wasn't his fault, we both just got swept up in it.” 

 

Stevie scooped up some jell-o and then put the spoon towards Rhett’s mouth, who ate it. “You rest up. Just tell the officer what happened. It will be ok.” She set the jell-o on the little tray the hospital had provided. “I'm going to let you rest so I can go down to the jail to check on Link. I know you don't want to do this but I think we should film a short video on my phone to let the beasts know you're ok. I sent out a press release a few hours ago, I wanted to get the scoop on TMZ.” 

 

“What did you say happened?” 

 

“Coyote attack.” 

 

“Atta girl Stevie.”

  
  


************

 

_ “ _ Fucking L.A. traffic,” Stevie cursed the roads. She had been driving for three hours to get from the hospital to the jail. Finally she pulled into the parking lot and made her way to the front desk. 

 

“Hi, my boss has been arrested?” She said to an older woman who was seated behind a counter with a glass window. Stevie drummed her fingers gently, trying desperately to be patient with the situation.

 

“Just a minute sugar,” the clerk said. She began to type on her computer, searching through menus and screens. Stevie pursed her lips shut, trying her hardest to not say anything impolite, but every fiber of her being wanted to scream at the woman to hurry up. Finally the woman asked, “What's his name?” 

 

“Charles Neal.” 

 

“Let me see...ok…” The woman began searching through menus again. Stevie stared down at the counter, deliberately avoiding looking at the clerk so that she wouldn’t say anything rude. Her patience had been worn thin with the emotional and physical exhaustion, not to mention the traffic just to get from point A to B. She snapped up as the woman spoke again. “He's with the detective and his lawyer now. Have a seat. Someone will be with you shortly.” 

 

_ Great, more sitting, _ Stevie thought. “Thank you.” She said quietly, a curtness in her voice that she didn’t really mean causing her to bite her lip and feel embarrassed towards her own behavior. After all, it wasn’t the clerk’s fault that everything was so painfully slow. She walked across the lobby and sat in a corner, looking up at the television, hoping there would be no news story about her friend and boss.

 

Some time passed. Stevie texted back and forth with crew members. She stuck to the coyote lie. No one else could know the truth of what had happened. She scrolled through social media and watched as comments like “Get well soon!” and “Poor Rhett!” began to pour in. 

 

“Stevie!” She heard a muffled but familiar voice shout. She turned around to see an exhausted Link and his lawyer Jeff, both behind the bulletproof glass. Stevie gave a half smile and waved at Link as she went around to the counter to greet him. Link was released by the nod of an officer and rushed forward to give her a big hug. The two gave each other a squeeze and Link felt a wave of endorphins hit him with the much needed human contact. He let her go after a minute and the two both looked at each other with an affection only old friends can have.

 

“There's a diner around the corner, let's get you something to eat and debrief,” Jeff suggested to Link who nodded in agreement. It felt strange to be brought back to reality, much like being weighed down under water. The three of them walked out the front doors together, sobered by the days’ events, both ready and deserving of the levity offered by dining out.

  
  


**************

 

The threesome settled into a booth, Stevie and Link on one side, Jeff on the other. 

 

“I gotta show you something.” Steve said, pulling out her phone. The first was a video of her sitting on Rhett's hospital bed. 

 

_ “Hi Mythical Beasts! Stevie here! I'm sure some of you have seen the news and I just wanted to let you all see with your own eyes that I am here with Rhett and he's doing fine!” Stevie said extra cheerfully into the camera, changing perspective to show Rhett's tired but smiling face. “Hi Beasts,” Rhett said, weakly waving at the camera which shifted back to Stevie. “He’s ok! I'm sorry we are going to have to put a hold on GMM for a bit while Rhett recuperates but we just wanted to let you know we love you all and thank you for your prayers and thoughts.Thank you for being your mythical best!” _ The camera clicked off. 

 

“Oh thank God,” Link said. He sank into the soft cushion of the diner and let out a shudder of relief. “Oh thank God.” He said again, pressing his fingers to his temples. 

 

“That one went up on our social media, but, there's another video.” Stevie said softly. She queued it up. 

 

_ “Hi Link,” Rhett said staring directly into the camera with glassy eyes. “I love you. I love you so much. I'm not sure how long it will be before I can talk to the officer and give my statement. I want to do it right now but the doctor says I'm too weak and on too many painkillers to make a statement. But I'll fight for you. The thought of you being in jail any second longer than necessary kills me. You did nothing wrong. I regret nothing. I love you.” _

 

Link began to sob. Horrible ugly snot dripping gasping sobs. He took off his glasses and set them on the table, then brought his arms to the table, burying himself in the comfort of his own body. It brought him little relief, but the knowledge that Rhett still loved him, that was more than he could handle. Stevie put her arm around his shoulders and rubbed his back gently, wishing to bring whatever comfort she could to her friend. After several minutes Link looked up at Jeff and Stevie. He was hit all at once with a wave of gratitude for these people, these people who he would be lost without. It was the sort of feeling words can’t describe, and he made a mental note that after this was over, he would need to do something tangible to express it. 

 

“I guess he fought pretty hard if he was able to make his statement and get you released in the time it took for me to drive from the hospital to the jail.” Stevie said. 

 

“His stubbornness paid off for once,” Link sniffled as he wiped his snotty nose on a napkin. The stress of the last day eased slightly. 

  
  


“So, what’s next, Jeff?” Stevie asked, taking her arm away from Link and settling into the booth. 

 

“Well, Rhett has decided not to press charges, so legally Link is off the hook. But there will be an investigation from social services. A social worker will make house calls and when they are satisfied will file a report that no domestic abuse is taking place.” He passed both Link and Stevie menus, which had been sitting ignored on the table. “In the meantime, Link, you won’t be allowed to be alone with Rhett. Is there someone who could stay with you two? A chaperone, if you will?”

 

“Stevie is the only other person who knows we’re together…” Link said, shyly looking at Stevie.

 

Stevie sighed and nodded her head in agreement. She was too overwhelmed by Link’s need to say no.

 

“Great, I will let the proper authorities know. They probably won’t let you visit at the hospital. You can try, but don’t get your hopes up.” 

 

A waitress in an old fashioned uniform came to their table. “What can I get you guys?” 

 

“Burger and fries,” Stevie ordered. 

“Same,” said Jeff. 

“I'll have a veggie burger,” Link said. “I think I'm off meat for a while.”


	3. Visitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link visits Rhett in the hospital.

 

Link paced around the hospital hallway, his hand over his mouth. He was resisting chewing on his fingernails. It was an old nervous habit, but Link couldn’t help but feel strange towards the idea of human flesh, even his own. The wait for Stevie to make sure that he was allowed to see Rhett after the incident was agonizing. Link thought about the blood that had soaked through the towel, how dark it had been, how it had been Rhett’s. What had come over him? Guilt settled into his stomach, mixed with shame, the knowledge of his actions gnawing at his insides.  _ I was just hungry,  _ Link thought.  _ And he wanted it. He wanted it. _ He reminded himself of that, over and over, repeating it out loud under his breath, “Rhett wanted it… it wasn’t just me… it wasn’t just me…” 

 

He looked up to see Stevie standing in the hallway, her platinum blonde hair illuminated by the glow of fluorescent lighting. “They were skeptical, but if I’m in there they’ll let you in. It helps that Rhett said he wanted you to see him.” Link nodded and looked down at the floor, blinking away tears for what felt like the millionth time in the last forty eight hours. He looked back up, his blue eyes red, full of emotional and physical exhaustion. Stevie gestured her head towards the room and began to walk in.

“Stevie - wait.” 

“What is it?” Stevie asked, taking a deep breath, trying to remain patient.

“Is it really that bad?” 

Stevie sighed and looked away from Link. She crossed her arms and hugged herself a little, something she felt both she and Link needed right now, and looked back at him. He was staring at the door to the room and looking extremely apprehensive, his mouth pursed, his eyes wide with fear. “I just.. I just don’t know if I can do this.” He looked back at her, but then quickly avoided eye contact.

“He isn’t good.” Stevie walked up to Link, looking up at him, into his eyes. “I don’t know anyone who would be doing just fine. But he wants to see you, and so you’re going to see him. Okay there, Neal?” She looked over at the room door, it’s ominous 247 looming over the both of them. It was as if the doorway itself knew the truth of Link’s actions and were accusing him, the monitor beeping inside saying quietly,  _ “guilty… murderer… cannibal…” _ it was all Link could hear, and Stevie knew it. She took Link by the elbow and gently steered him to the door. “Besides. He loves you.” 

Link nodded, blinked, and let Stevie guide him to the doorway, grateful that she hadn’t made light of the situation. She pushed him in, still gentle, and Link was confronted by the seriousness of the situation in a way that an interrogation room couldn’t make real.

Rhett’s chest was moving up and down, gently, covered in bandages. His eyes were mostly shut, half focused on a television in the corner which was currently playing a commercial for diabetes medication. An IV drip was connected to his left arm, the television remote was sat on a tray next to it. There were monitors, and several electrodes attached to Rhett’s body. 

Link stopped in his tracks a foot or so from the bed. “Woah.”

Rhett’s eyes were glazed over, but he still looked at Link and smiled. “What?”

“You look like a robot.” Link said, smiling, walking closer to the bed. He pulled one of the visiting chairs from a corner and sat it down next to Rhett’s bed, sitting next to him but still afraid to touch him. “How’re you doing?”

“Well, the morphine is nice.” Rhett’s half asleep smile remained plastered on his face and he opened his eyes a little more at seeing Link was sitting next to him. Stevie pulled up the second chair that was in the room and sat next to Rhett, looking between her two bosses, still not sure what to make of the situation now that it was calming down. How do you comprehend lovers attempting to actually, physically eat one another? She was avoiding the thought, but seeing Rhett here all over again, and with the shock of it all wearing off, it was getting more difficult to avoid the truth: Link had tried to eat Rhett. Rhett had let him, and not only that, he had asked him to do it. Just an average day at the office? Stevie would have given her left arm for average at this point. She turned towards the television, which was playing an old episode of The Simpsons, one in which Homer was comatose in a hospital bed. She blinked back tears of her own as Lisa, Homer’s little girl, played a sad jazz melody on the saxophone. 

“Excuse me, I’ll just… I’ll just be outside the door, okay?” Stevie stood up and made her way to the door.

“Stevie - wait.” Link turned towards her, desperation in his eyes. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, I just remembered I’ve gotta call my mom.” Stevie smiled her best actress smile and then proceeded to go outside the door. As soon as she was sure that she was out of sight of either one of them, a flood of emotions struck her in the chest. She found her legs growing weak, tears suddenly flooding her vision, wet warm tears that streamed down her face and dripped off the edge of her chin. Stevie felt a release of tension all at once, a rush of a deep breath, and slid down the wall, sitting right there on the floor outside the room, trying to cry as quietly as she could so Link wouldn’t hear.

A close friend, who was also her boss, had almost died. The shock hadn’t had time to settle in, but now, sitting here in this hallway, blubbering, it was all she could think about. She felt heat rising in her chest, and anger. If Link hadn’t been so - so - animalistic - none of this would’ve happened. If he’d just eaten on the way home, Rhett wouldn’t be lying in there with skin grafts and a heavy morphine drip. She cursed under her breath, still trying to remain quiet, and sniffed, hiccuping a little at the force of the overwhelming grief and fury. As much as Stevie wanted to take care of both of them, she just couldn’t help feeling something close to hatred towards Link. All her walls crashing down, all her barriers collapsing, she let out a small sound, like a cry of pain, and buried her face in her hands.

“Stevie?”

Link was standing over her, his face full of concern. He knelt down and put his hand on her knee, which she allowed. Sniffing, Stevie looked into Link’s blue eyes, her vision still blurry, her own eyes wrought with tears that wouldn’t stop coming. 

Link nodded in understanding. He sat down next to her and put his arm around her, tears forming in his own eyes, letting himself cry again. 

“How could you do it?”

Link looked at Stevie and then out into the hallway. “He wanted me to, Stevie. I wanted to, too.” He looked down at his shoes, uncomfortable with the truth, uncomfortable with the fact that he’d badly hurt his best friend, his lover, and her. 

“It doesn’t matter if he wanted it, how could you!” Stevie stood up, pushing away from him, her face covered in tears and snot. She looked down at the ground and forced herself to take a deep breath before looking back up, right into his eyes, confronting him. “I thought you loved him.”

“I do!” Link felt like he was grasping at straws, the right words not coming to his mouth. He reached out for her, but this time she pulled away, shaking her head. “Stevie, please. I do love him.”

Stevie sniffed and wiped her eyes on her sleeve before looking back at Link squarely, furiously, almost snarling. “You have a very funny way of showing it.” Without looking back, Stevie walked down the hallway, leaving Link alone, staring after her, no words coming to mind, nothing to justify his actions, nothing left inside him to fill the hollow feeling that he was a monster. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are fantastical things.


	4. Back to Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett and Link try to resume their lives as before, but things just aren't the same.

“Ready boss?” Stevie said entering the hospital room as Rhett tied the drawstring on the joggers she had brought him to change into.

 

“Yeah… I never thought I’d get winded putting on sweatpants and a t-shirt,” he chuckled.

 

“Rhett, you are weak. It’s ok. You’re still on a lot of drugs too. Just promise you will let us take care of you.”

 

“I will. I just want to go home. I miss Link, and I’m sick of hospital food.”

 

It had been almost a week since they had seen each other. Link wanted to give Stevie her space but he needed her in order to see Rhett. For a while Link thought Stevie would back out of their new living arrangement but the night before she had showed up at their house with a duffle bag, her laptop, and her favourite teddy bear, a relic from her old job at build-a-bear. She could barely look at Link. They exchanged a few pleasantries but it was forced. 

 

“Hop in,” Stevie said to Rhett, motioning to a wheelchair.

 

“Seriously? My legs work fine.”

 

“Hospital rules, dude.”

 

Rhett rolled his eyes and tucked his too long legs into the foot rests.

 

* * *

 

 

Link buzzed around the house. He wanted to make sure everything was perfect for Rhett’s homecoming. Dozens of vases of sunflowers filled their home. They always reminded him of Rhett; tall and proud and golden but somehow simple and comforting. The entire house was spotless. 

 

When he returned from jail he faced a pool of blood that was so deep and dark it may as well have been a mile deep. He initially thought about calling a cleaning company. The tiniest drop of blood made his stomach turn on a good day, but he knew he had to clean it up. It was just one penance of many that he had to do for his sins. Washing the floor felt like praying for atonement. Perhaps by bleaching the floor he could wash away his own sins. He was reminded of his Christian upbringing, which condemned his homosexuality, and would definitely condemn this. With each pass that the scrubber made on the floor, the tiles digging into Link’s knees until he had to clean up his own blood as well as Rhett’s, he felt dirtier, more wrong, more guilty. He scrubbed and scrubbed until he’d cleaned the floor so thoroughly he could, ironically, eat off of it. Thinking about eating in this kitchen made his stomach churn uncomfortably. He had turned his attention to the rest of the house, his anxiety propelling his efforts and giving him more than enough energy to clean each room three times over. Now the house had never been cleaner. Every bit of glass sparkled, the floor shined. He had even buffed the stainless steel fridge and stove. He had hardly slept all week but at least cleaning kept his mind off things. 

 

Link jumped when he heard the door open. Stevie came in first, carrying a bag from the pharmacy with Rhett’s medication and wound care items. Rhett came in slowly after, giving Link a small smile.

 

“Place looks good, Bo.” 

 

“Thanks,” Link croaked out of a dry mouth. “Here, come over to the recuperation zone.” he said, pointing to a leather lazy boy chair in the middle of the living room.

 

“You bought a chair?” Rhett’s eyebrows raised, incredulous at the sight of the new furniture in their home. Nice furniture at that. Link, who was the most frugal man alive, was going all out.

 

“The doctor said you would be more comfortable in it than a bed for the first little while.” Link explained, patting the back of the chair. He looked at Rhett nervously, anxious for his reaction.

 

Rhett sat down, pressing the buttons on the side to elevate his legs and recline. He nodded his head approvingly.

 

“Hungry?”

“Always.”

“Stevie, you hungry?”

“I’m ok, Link. I’m going to my room for a bit to call Cassie and let you two talk,” she gave Rhett’s hand a squeeze and left the room. 

 

The silence that filled the room was oppressive. Link felt smothered in it, desperate to breathe in the way that someone who is agoraphobic may feel as if their lungs are collapsing if they leave their house. He looked down at the floor, away from Rhett, still nervous to look at him, still nervous to really look at Rhett’s chest, or even look him in the eye. He swallowed, his adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. He felt like he had to break the silence, like it was a physical thing surrounding them, like a block of ice that surrounded him and froze him away from a world with Rhett.  _ I deserve it _ , he thought. He swallowed again and forced himself to make conversation. 

 

“I’ll make you a sandwich. What do you want on it?” Link said, as he stuck his head in the refrigerator. “I got all your favourites, bologna, salami…”

 

“Link.”

 

“...ham, smoked turkey…”

 

“Link!”

 

Link pulled his head out of the fridge. 

 

“We can eat later,” Rhett said, gesturing for Link to come back into the living room. “Come sit for a second, baby.”

 

Rhett was always so soft and kind to him. He didn’t deserve him. Especially now. He swallowed the knot in his throat and sat down on an ottoman beside Rhett.

 

“Rhett...I’m so sorry...sorry isn’t even enough. There is literally nothing I can say. What I can I do? How can I fix what I’ve done?” Link bit his lip and looked at Rhett, really looked at him, for the first time in days. He couldn’t bear what he saw, what he’d done. It felt like there was a physical weight on his body, weighing down his very bones. His mouth ran dry seeing the bandages bundled under Rhett’s shirt, his eyes watered seeing the pain in Rhett’s face, the pain he knew Rhett was trying to hide from him. Pain that he caused. Sorry would never be enough. 

 

“Shhhh. It’s ok Link. Really. I just want you back.” Rhett’s voice was calm and soothing. His only goal in the world was to assuage Link’s guilt; its presence was all over the house, he could feel it. “You’re sitting right next to me but you’re so far away.” He reached for Link’s hand, pulling it towards him, giving it a kiss. “You’re all I’ve got. If I lose you too there won’t be anything left for me to have lived for.”

 

Link leaned over and kissed Rhett on the forehead. Rhett cupped his face in his hands, staring into his blood shot blue eyes, pulling Link’s lips down to meet his. Rhett meant to kiss him, really kiss him, but Link gave him a quick peck and then pulled away.

 

“How about that sandwich?”

“...Okay,” Rhett sighed, staring after Link like a lost puppy. “Can you get me some water? I need to take a pill.”

“Sure, Bo.”

 

Rhett dozed most of the afternoon in his Lazy Boy. Link didn’t want to leave his side, yet he also wanted to get as far away as possible. He alternated between sitting and watching Rhett’s slow, shallow breathing and cleaning already clean counters and floors. He would become fascinated by the rhythm of the breathing, the cadence, then remember that he was the reason that Rhett was having trouble breathing, and say to himself, “No one has scrubbed the kitchen counters,” when he had very well done it himself twenty minutes before. Cleanliness was next to Godliness, and he was next to filth as far as he was concerned. His back ached from all the scrubbing, but it was all he could do to distract himself. He was relieved when Stevie finally emerged from the guest bedroom from a long conversation with her girlfriend as well as spending time answering work emails and generally trying to keep Mythical Entertainment afloat.

 

“Link, we have two weeks of backlogs episodes and I’ve arranged for four weeks of guest hosts to fill in after that. Maybe you and Rhett can make a few little vlogs about his recovery that we can include, keep people watching and involved? I know it’s asking a lot of him but we need to keep making content.”

 

“Thanks, Stevie. I think that’s a good idea. Remind me when things get back to normal that you deserve a raise.”

 

_ Like things will ever be normal ever again, _ they both silently thought. 

 

* * *

 

 

Within a few days the two of them settled into a rhythm. Stevie spent most of her time in the guest room, which doubled as her office. She would come out for meals and to chat with Rhett while he was alert, which wasn’t much. She mostly avoided Link. She looked tired and weary but always plastered on a million dollar smile when sitting with Rhett. 

 

Link doted on Rhett, getting him whatever he wanted to eat or drink, watching The Lord of the Rings Trilogy six times in two days because Rhett kept falling asleep and would want to restart it from the beginning every time. By day three Rhett was due for a change of his bandages and a sponge bath.

 

“No way,” Stevie said.

 

“Please, Stevie?”

 

“I’m not giving Rhett a sponge bath. First of all he’s my boss, secondly he’s my friend, thirdly he’s your boyfriend.”

 

Link sighed, he knew this was a war he couldn’t win.

 

“Ok buddyroll. Bath time.”

 

Rhett groaned. “I’m in a lot of pain.”

 

“I know Bo, but we need to clean your wounds and change your dressings and you need to be awake. I promise as soon as you’re done you can put on some comfy clothes and come back in here and take your medication. Ok?”

 

Rhett nodded and moaned as he stood up to make his way to the bathroom.

 

Rhett stripped down and sat on the edge of the tub. Link slowly started pulling off the bandages and dressings. 

 

Rhett’s neck, belly and chest looked like something out of a horror movie. The skin around the stitches was red and puckered around the black surgical thread, other parts were stapled together and crusted with blood. The skin grafts were an unsettling shade of pink. 

 

“I… I’ll be right back,” Link said backing out of the bathroom. He slumped down in the hallway, holding his knees up to his chin, weeping silently. If he had eaten anything he probably would have thrown up but he’d been living on coffee and energy drinks since Rhett came home.   _ Pull it together Neal. You have to do this. You did this to him. You get back in there and clean that boy up.  _ Rhett was usually the one to give him this kind of pep talk. He took a few deep breaths, fetched a towel from the linen closet and went back into the bathroom.

 

Rhett patted the side of the tub beside him and asked, “Are you gonna join me?”

 

Link climbed into the tub fully clothed and realized there was no way he could do this without getting soaked. He frowned, climbed back out of the tub and disrobed. He felt Rhett’s eyes on his body, he felt ashamed that his chest was unmarred. 

 

“I’m ready for my sponge bath, nurse Neal,” Rhett said with a drugged-up grin. It was clear that the painkillers were, at least, not killing his sense of humor.

 

Link rolled his eyes, turning on the handheld shower head to a comfortable temperature, assuming the role of caretaker. He wet Rhett’s hair and then lathered in shampoo, scrubbing and gently scratching his scalp. Rhett quietly moaned. He loved having his head massaged and it was the most Link had touched him since before the incident. Link could almost feel the unspoken tension between them; how Rhett was trying to make everything normal again with these little gestures. Link rinsed out the shampoo and repeated the process with conditioner. He soaped up a bath puff and scrubbed Rhett’s arms, legs, back and nether regions. Rhett giggled. Then came the part he was dreading. Link pulled a special sponge that the hospital had recommended out of it’s sterile wrapping and as gently as possible smoothed it over Rhett’s wounds, flaking off dried blood and puss. He touched him as gently as he could, the necessity of the task overcoming his nausea.  _ I did that. I did that. I did that. _ He thought over and over again, looking only when necessary, grimacing when he thought he had hurt Rhett. Rhett winced a few times but did not complain.

 

Link sat the sponge on the side of the tub and Rhett’s big arms encircled him, pulling him into Rhett’s lap. 

 

“What are you doing Rhett?”

 

“Nuthin’,” Rhett said, wrapping his arms around Link, who was now straddling him. Link could feel the undeniable fact that Rhett was turned on. It seemed like under the influence of the drugs, all his inhibitions towards sex were gone, leaving a drugged man who Link didn’t feel he could take advantage of. Rhett’s touch, however… he couldn’t stop Rhett from touching him. He felt sick to his stomach, looking at his partner as Rhett’s hands raked down Link’s back, pulling him in for a kiss when he was interrupted by a knock on the door.

 

“Hey...guys…”Stevie’s sweet voice squeaked through the door. “The social worker is here for her visit.”

 

“Ok, just finishing up in here! Be out in a minute, just changing his dressings!” Link said, with a voice at least an octave higher than normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mythicaliz wrote the majority of this chapter, so give her some love!


	5. Ugly Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A social worker shares what she thinks of the situation. Rhett and Link have a discussion about the situation at hand.

The social worker was a short woman in her early fifties. She wore her brown hair tied up in an authoritative bun and wore a no nonsense grey suit with a crisp white blouse. By the time Link had changed Rhett’s dressing and gotten him into fresh clothes, she had already made a page worth of notes on her clipboard.

 

“Hi, I’m Link… well probably according to your paperwork I’m Charles, but everyone calls me Link,” he said, extending a hand. The social worker just looked at his hand until he awkwardly lowered it. “I… I’m sorry we weren’t able to greet you when you arrived. I was just helping Rhett with his bandages. I trust Stevie showed you around?” 

 

“My name is Ms. Breed.” She said in a professional tone, one twinged with annoyance that Link had been late to meet her. “Now, Mr. Neal, if you would be so kind as to excuse yourself so I can speak to Mr. McLaughlin alone. I wouldn’t want your presence to cloud our discussion.” The woman’s voice was not harsh, just business like. Link read into it though and saw her disgust, her disdain for him. He swallowed hard.

 

“Sure… yeah… I’ll be in my room if you need me. Rhett, can I get you anything before I go?” Link asked as he tried to hide the scowl forming on his brow. 

 

Rhett settled into his lazy boy. “Yeah, could you-”

 

The social worker interrupted, “He’s fine. This won’t take long.”

 

Link begrudgingly left the living room. He was making his way to the bedroom when walking past the bathroom decided it could use a scrub after cleaning Rhett’s wounds. He wanted it to be as sterile as possible. Soon he was on his hands and knees, scrubbing every surface with bleach, his head getting a little dizzy from the fumes. 

 

An hour later he emerged from the bathroom, and Rhett called out to him. “Hey baby, we’re all done in here.”

 

Link went back in the living room as the social worker was packing up her clipboard. 

 

“So, uh, what now?” he asked. “You file your report and this is all over?”

 

“Mr. Neal, you ate parts of your boyfriend. He nearly died. It’s only because of some ridiculous loophole in California law that you aren’t in prison right now. So no, I’m afraid it all isn’t going to get wrapped up that easily. I’ll be back again in a few days. I’m comfortable that Mr. McLaughlin feels safe and is in no immediate danger thanks to Ms. Levigne’s chaperoning, but this is far from over.” Ms. Breed stuffed her forms into her bag and briskly walked out, leaving Link standing there with his mouth gaping open.

 

“Jesus,” Link said, holding his head in his hands. “Is it just me, or was she horrible?”

 

“She was alright. It’s her job to be tough. She was nice enough to me,” Rhett shrugged.

 

“What did she ask you? What did you say?” Link asked. He felt the guilt beginning to course through him again.

 

“Can I have my pill first? I’m two hours late.”

 

“Fine Rhett. Whatever. I forgot your pain pills are more important than the future of our relationship.” Link said as he angrily fetched a glass of water, slamming the cupboard door and spilling water all over the counter. He opened the prescription bottle and his hands started shaking so badly he spilt half of them on the floor. “FUCK!” he yelled, trying to pick up the pills that were scattered all over the tile floor. He became increasingly frustrated as his hands shook. He looked up, looking for Stevie, but she had gone to another room, apparently not keen on including herself in the same room as their conflict.

 

“Babe, calm down. It’s ok.” Rhett said gently, looking at Link, his eyes wide with concern.

 

“No Rhett, it’s not ok. She looked at me like I was an absolute monster. Maybe I am.” Link bit his cheek to try and alleviate the tension coursing through his body, but it simply made him more tense. 

 

“You’re not.” 

 

“Yes I am.” 

 

“No.”

 

“Rhett just tell me I’m a monster. Please - in some fucked up way it would make me feel so much better.” Link stood up from the floor and walked over to Rhett, looking down at him in his chair. He told himself he would not cry, but he could feel tears at the back of his eyes, threatening to escape down his cheeks. “I need to hear it.” Then, quietly: “Please.”

 

“Fine.” Rhett snapped, standing up faster than he should have, gripping the chair for support. “You’re a monster, and you know what? I’m angry. I want to be making Good Mythical Morning. I want to be paddle boarding and camping and traveling with my  _ boyfriend _ . It’s been three days and I’m sick of these walls and this chair. I hate being foggy and drugged up all the time but it’s the only time I feel any peace, because you know what? I’m guilty too. Fifty-fifty baby, I was right there with you. I  _ told  _ you to do it. And I enjoyed every second of it. Every bit of pain, every bit of blood. I loved it. How fucked up is that? Maybe I’m the monster. I see you, walking around this house as a shell of your former self. You won’t stop cleaning, you won’t eat, and you’re so skinny that even in my weak state I feel like I could snap you in two. So yeah, I’m the one with stitches and skin grafts but you're not faring much better in the scar department. Yours are just way deeper, brother.” 

 

Rhett’s anger softened as he watched Link begin to shake with sobs, his body moving before the tears hit the floor. The two stood there, not speaking, staring at each other’s feet, immobile, paralyzed by emotion. Link sniffled, angry with himself for crying, furious. Rhett wasn’t supposed to see him like this. Rhett reached out to touch him, but Link jumped backwards, so Rhett put his arm down.

 

“I miss you.” Rhett said quietly.

 

“I know.” Link whispered. 

“Do you miss me?” Rhett asked softly. He sat down in the chair and looked up at Link, the tears filling up the rims of his glasses, into those blue eyes that were full of a pain neither of them could articulate.

 

“Yes.” Link replied, subdued. “Of course I miss you.” He looked down, into Rhett’s eyes, and removed his glasses. “But don’t you see why I can’t touch you right now?” He swallowed. “Don’t you see how painful it is for me to see you like this?”

 

Rhett nodded, slowly, affirming Link’s thoughts. “Your touch is healing for me, Link.” He whispered. “I need it.”

 

“I’m sorry.” Link shook his head. “Oh god, I’m so sorry.” He slowly sat down, his sobs overtaking him again, his tears making puddles on the hardwood floor. “I’m sorry that I can’t forgive myself. I’m sorry that I can’t touch you. I’m sorry that I put you through this. I’m sorry that I can’t accept that you were part of it. I can’t live with myself if I hurt you, and I did, but you need me here, so I’m still alive.” 

 

“Link, what are you saying?” Rhett reached out to Link’s shoulder, gripping it tightly. “Don’t be saying what I think you’re saying.” He reached out to Link’s chin, pulling it up to him, but Link’s eyes were cast downwards. “Link, please look at me.” 

 

Link looked up, slowly, his fears still making his body shake.

 

“Do you think I’d be better off without you?” Rhett asked carefully. 

 

Link nodded. 

 

“Do we need to get you some help?” Rhett asked, still careful, choosing his words cautiously. “Are you going to be safe if you stay here?” 

 

Link looked down again, removing his face from Rhett’s hand. “I can’t answer that.” 

 

Rhett looked up at the doorway to the living room, at Stevie standing in the doorway, whose hands were over her mouth in horror. “I think you just did.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Props to @mythicaliz for co-writing this chapter! Comments and kudos let us know you're enjoying the work and that we should keep the story going.

**Author's Note:**

> WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME.  
> Okay, that being said...
> 
>  
> 
> I don’t really consider this one of my better pieces of writing, more just exercising an idea. Practice, really.
> 
> ...I feel really weird that I keep having disturbing ideas like this. 
> 
> More stuff to disturb you in the works.


End file.
